Comedy – often said to be the most difficult genre to get right. 2012 was a weak year for the genre too. Aside from 21 Jump Street and Ted, nothing had us guffawing like hyenas in our cinema seats. So who’s attempting to make us laugh in the new year?
THIS IS 40
RELEASE DATE: 14th February
STARRING: Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel
FIRST THOUGHTS: This is 40 has already proved to be a divisive piece of work over in the States. Judd Apatow’s semi-sequel to smash-hit Knocked Up is a more serious, dramatic look at married life with some juvenile humour thrown into the mix. Many people have complained about its 134-minute run-time and Apatow’s decision to cast his real life family as the leads (Leslie Mann is his wife and the two girls are his children). If you’ve seen Apatow’s previous effort, Funny People, then you may be prepared for This Is 40‘s blend of drama/comedy. Certainly don’t expect a laugh-a-minute film like 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up.
VERDICT: WAIT FOR THE DVD RELEASE
WARM BODIES
RELEASE DATE: 8th February
STARRING: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich
FIRST THOUGHTS: Now this looks like an interesting film and yes, that is the little kid from About a Boy as a zombie! Warm Bodies is a film I could’ve included in the horror 2013 count-down but the trailer makes the project look more goofy and humorous than scary. Essentially, it’s a horror rom-com told from the viewpoint of a zombie who has fallen in love with a warm-blooded human. Sound intriguing? Many people are calling it the ‘Twilight of zombie films’ but this looks far more tongue-in-cheek and wry than its vampire counterpart. Also exciting is the film’s director, Jonathan Levine, who directed the underrated cancer-comedy 50/50.
VERDICT: MUST SEE IN THE CINEMA
SCARY MOVIE 5
RELEASE DATE: 12th April
STARRING: Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Ashley Tisdale
FIRST THOUGHTS: My first thoughts when reading about this film were ‘why?’ The Scary Movie franchise has been dead ever since the Wayan’s brothers ditched it after the second installment. Not only are they bringing a stale series back, they’re dragging up some controversial celebrity’s in order to sell it – Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan. One positive is the screen-writer; David Zucker, who is the creator of Airplane! which is arguably the film that started this whole parody craze. However we’d advise you keep expectations down to a bare minimum as the trailer reveals a film full of slapstick humour and dated Paranormal Activity jokes.
VERDICT: WAIT FOR THE DVD RELEASE